Automatic cut-out



(No Model.)

A. Z. -HAINES 8v J. H. GURRY. AUTOMATIC GUT OUT QNM.

Patented July 1, 1890.

WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT; ()EFICm ALVIN Z.HA1NES, oE PITTSBURG, AND JAMES H. oURRY,- oF AWILKVINS'BURQ ASsIGNoRs 0E ONE-EIGHTH To WALTER A. ROSE, 0E ROCHESTER, AND MARSHALL D. MCWHINNEY, oE WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC CUT-OUT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,516, dated Ju1y`1, 1890.

Application iiled May 23, 1890. Serial No. 352,889- (No model.)

To all whom t may concer-n:

Be it known that we, ALVIN Z. HAINES, of Pittsburg, and J AMES H. CURRY, of lVilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, citizens of the United States,

have invented or discovered a certain new and useful Improvement in Automatic Cut- Outs, of which improvement the following is a specification.

The invention described herein relates to certain improvements in cut-outs for electric circuits, especially such as are formed in part by overhead conductors and in part by the earth, and has for its object the interposition in the line of the overhead conductor of a series of automatically-operating devices which will maintain a complete circuit when the conductor is intact, and when the conductor is broken will form a breakin the circuit at one or more points other than that of the point of rupture of the conductor.

In general terms the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of mechanical devices or elements, all as more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

' In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, F-igure 1 is a sectional elevation of a portion of a conductor having the cut-out connected therewith, showing the parts thereof in normal or operative position. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the cutiout, and Fig. 3 is a view in elevation, on a reduced scale, of a portion of an overhead conductor.

In the practice of our invention the conductor 1, forming an overhead circuit, is divided between two adjacent fixed supports into two or more sections, 1 1b, &c., and the ends of these sections are provided with heads or buttons 2. The heads or buttons on the adjacent ends of two sections are inclosed within a shell or cylinder 3, the internal diameter of the shell being greater than the eX- ternal diameter of the buttons or heads, so that the heads or buttons will not come in contact with the shell, except as hereinafter stated, and the openings at the ends of the cylinder for the passage of the conductors are lined with sleeves 4, formed of non-conducting material, thereby preventing electrical connection between the shell and conductors. Between the heads or buttons and the inner ends of the non-conducting sleeves are placed springs 5, adapted to hold the heads or buttons awayfrom the ends of the shell. The 4conductor when being arranged'on its supports is placed under sufficient tension -to compress the springs 5 and bringthe buttons or heads into contact or electrical connection with the walls of the shell, as Shown in Fig. l, thereby completing the electric circuit, the sleeves forming a part thereof. It the conductor be broken or cut, thereby relieving the springs of the tension underwhich they have been placed, these springs will immediately force the heads or buttons inwardly and out of electrical connection with the sleeve, thereby forming a break in the circuit at one or more points other than the point of rupture of the conductor. This cutting out of the circuit will render the portion of conductor droppingdownwhenthcbreakoccursperfectly harmless, there being no current in Such fallen portion to be short-circuited through other Wires with which it may come in contact.

While this device may be constructed in a variety of Ways, it is preferred to form the shell in two sections or parts which screw together, as shown in Fig. 1. The buttons or heads are formed on the .inner ends of short sections of wire, the outer ends thereof being adapted for connection in any suitable maiiner to the ends of the main sections of the conductor. The heads or buttons 2 are recessed, as shown, for the reception of the spring when compressed and to prevent any lateral movement of the spring, whereby it might come in contact with the shell or case. As shown-at one end of Fig. 1, the heads or buttons and the case or shell are so constructed that the head simply bears against the end of the case; but, if desired, the case or shell maybe so constructed that the heads or buttons will be wedged into the ends ofthe case when drawn outwardly, as shown at the left-hand end in Fig. 1.

In order to prevent the heads or buttons from coming into contact, and thereby completing the circuit when force'd toward each other by the springs, a washer of disk 6, formed of non-conducting material, is interposed between the heads or buttons, as shown in Fig. l.

In order to prevent the heads or buttons from being drawn into contact with the shell or case by a pull on the depending end of the ruptured cable, the conductor is provided with a spring-catch 7 arranged to engage the inner end of the insulating-sleeves 4 when the heads are forced inwardly by the action of the springs. As it is preferred to arrange these cut-outs at the points of support of the conductor, a screw 8, provided with eyes, is attached to the sleeves, a plug 9, formed of insulating material, being inserted into the wall of the shell, and the l screw inserted in said plug. It is preferred to line the inner surface of the sleeve or cover and the outer surfaces of the heads or buttons, except at the points of contact, with insulating material, so as to prevent a circuit being formed by the lateral movement of the heads or buttons.

We claim herein as our inventionl. The combination, with an overhead conductor consisting of a series of sections, of butv tons or heads formed on the ends of said sections, a case or shell inclosing said buttons,

tons or heads formed on the ends of said sections, a case or shell inclosing saidl buttons, springs adapted when free to act to force the buttons out of contact with the case or shell, and a disk formed of insulating material interposed between the heads or buttons, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with an overhead conductor consisting of a series of sections, of buttons or heads in the ends of said sections, a case or shell inclosing said buttons, springs adapted to force the buttons out of contact with the case or shell, and catches to hold the heads or buttons in such safety position, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands.

ALVIN Z. HAINES. JAMES H. CURRY.

Vitnesses:

DARWIN S. WoLoo'rT, R. H. WHrrTLEsEY. 

